Small business owners can have a lot of negative consequences when someone makes a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim. Because of this, anyone who deals with these matters must know some basic points about how to handle them.
If you’re a small business owner, remember these points about workers’ compensation claims:
1. You need to have a clear process for employees to alert the company about injuries.
Once you receive the report, you need to go through the notification process with the insurance company. This will trigger an investigation, but you also have the ability to look into what happened. The goal of the investigation is to determine what happened so that you aren’t having to deal with a fraudulent claim.
2. You should start the investigation immediately.
It’s possible that evidence regarding the case might be destroyed or altered if you wait too long. There’s also the matter of obtaining accurate witness testimony. Sometimes, memories about what happened may change over time. By conducting interviews right away, you’re more likely to get the truth about what happened.
3. Find out about your options if you suspect fraud.
During the investigation, you may find that either the employee wasn’t truthful about what happened or that your company is actually at fault for what happened. Regardless of the outcome of your investigation, you should learn about what options you have related to the case. This can help you to ensure that you’re protecting your company in the proper manner.
Working closely with those who are involved in the case is important. These cases can sometimes become fairly complex, so be sure you’re adequately protected via the appropriate legal assistance.
